What an experience! Here's the low-down...

So i left around 5pm last wednesday to run from Rita. (storm was predicted to hit galveston as cat 5 and be a cat 4 when it came 40 miles in to my neighborhood) 11 hours later we (4 cars of friends, 3 dogs, a cat and a goat) arrived at destination safety...180 miles from home. No cell phone service. We settled into a roach motel right on Lake Same Rayburn in Zavalla, TX.

Thursday was just like camping. Had electricity and water. Had cards and alcohol; things were great! Friday, 6 am, 3 other friends and their dog finally show up at our room. (they spent 25 hours on the road to drive that same 180 miles) So what else is there to do but drink a beer at 6 in the morning to ease their pain?!

By friday night we had 6 adults, a 3 year old, an 8 year old, 3 dogs and a cat sardined into a dinky little room with 2 beds, 3 cots and NO floor space. then around 10:30 the electricity went out. Our room quickly became a boil-a-bag with almost 100% humidity and 100 degree temps. There was virtually no sleeping that night. The wind was whipping. The rain was pouring. God knows what was flying around outside the window in complete darkness. By 5am the adults of the group were smoking like feigns with the door wide open waiting for the sun to show us just how bad it was. With the rain and wind in full force (90-100 mph) and the sun breaking the horizon we could see big ass trees being pulled up from their roots and blown down the deserted street with ease. A tornado touched down within 50 feet of my room sometime in the night.

By noon saturday the rain had turned to a sprinkle. We weren't sure if we were in the eye or if it was over. Turns out it was over. Trees, roots and all were everywhere. Random signs and billboards from who knows where appeared in the parking lot. The place looked pretty f'd up! But we were all ok.

We didn't have the option of leaving to return home because there wasn't any gas anywhere before the storm hit, and after nobody had power to dispense it if they had it. We tried to make the best of the situation but with no water to flush, shower,or brush teeth and no electricity in the heat it started to get a bit rough.

Around 1 am Monday morning brothers of the family i was staying with showed up with 50 gallons of gas in cans brought all the way from houston in cans. SAVED!

We bolted monday morning and made it home in 3 hours. All along the way there were deserted cars from people running out of gas. Trees on houses, powerlines and roads. A lot of roads were blocked off from incoming/ongoing traffic.

Summary: I drove for 11 hours away from the damn hurricane only to end up in the eye of it. My apartment is completely unharmed. I'm not even sure if the power went out. No matter though. I'm safe. I've missed y'all.

Good to be home.

glad to hear everything worked out and that you're safe.

amanda, glad you survived ok, now you have a great story to tell your grandkids someday...

that hurricane knew better than to mess with your ace...

i just think it's funny that there was a goat involved in the whole story. that made me laugh!

seriously, though, thank goodness you were ok...at least you know the true meaning of "roughing it." enjoy electricity/running water/cell phone service for a while. we missed you, too.

Glad to hear you're home and safe, Chica.

The exact same thought went through my mind as I read the end of her post. What a great story to have!

Cher

Wow, what an adventure! So glad to hear you're okay, Chica.

Wow, what an ordeal.
So glad you're OK.
I agree on the great story...maybe you should write in down in a little journal...from start to finish.

Soooo glad you're ok, Chica!!

It's good to have you back.

so glad to hear that you're okay. what an experience!

what a great story... glad you wrote it all down and shared it with us!

Welcome Back Chica! Thanks for sharing your story!

haha awesome! glad you're ok, though! last year i sat waiting for 3 hurricanes to go right over top of me, they all missed by many miles. we got some decent TS force winds for two of them though, Charley was messy and Frances (i think) very nearly dropped a pecan tree on my grandfather's house; my bedroom specifically.

should get Brandon's story though. his mom panicked and drove them an ungodly distance to sit on the coast, on an island. an island which was, of course, not initially projected to be in the path of Charley. i had called him to see what he was doing that night (hurricane party!!!) and when he informed me of the details of his trip, i shook my head and said, "you know that thing is going to turn right for you while your house in Clermont won't even lose power, don't you?"

he said something to the extent of, "yeah."

i was right too. when you're inland, don't run for the coast when a hurricane comes....



probably bad advice, but i'm reminded of what racecar drivers are trained to do when there's a bad accident in front of them; aim for it. those other cars are moving, so if you aim for where they are now, there's a damn good chance they'll have moved by the time you get there.

i always take it for granted that a hurricane simply WILL NOT go where it is projected; meaning, if they say it's going to hit me dead on, i know it won't. while if they say it's going to end up somewhere within 100 miles of me, there's a good chance i'm going to get creamed.

that's my philosophy.

Welcome back, Chica.

Why didn't you share this with me sooner? Next time i'll be sitting in a brick house with boarded windows and a generator out back...